Carton dispenser for wrapped articles

ABSTRACT

A carton dispenser for wrapped articles in which articles may be packaged for delivery, and later the carton dispenser hung on a wall and articles may be withdrawn one at a time for use through a bottom opening in the carton dispenser provided by the removal of a tab initially folded to close the opening until the dispenser is put to use.

O United States Patent [1113,568,883 [72] Inventor Gordon S. Reynolds[56] References Cited Salt Lake City, Utah UNITED STATES PATENTS 95:;-3: I969 2,294,473 9/1942 Makeley 229/7 [45] Patented Mar. 9, 19713,002,651 10/1961 Gauld 22 l/302X [73] Assignee Le Voys lnc. PrimaryExaminer-David M. Bockenelk Salt Lake City, Utah Attorney-Hill, Sherman,Meroni, Gross and Simpson [54] CARTON DISPENSER FOR WRAPPED ARTICLES 4Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. I

[52] U.S. Cl 221/305, ABSTRACT: A carton dispenser for wrapped articlesin which 206/56, 229/7 articles may be packaged for delivery, and laterthe carton [51] Int. Cl A47f 1/08, dispenser hung on a wall and articlesmay be withdrawn one at B65d 83/00, B65d 5/16 a time for use through abottom opening in the carton [50] Field of Search dispenser provided bythe removal of a tab initially folded to close the opening until thedispenser is put to use.

CARTON DESPENSIER FOR WPPIED ARTKCLES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONlieretofore, various types and sizes of containers have been developedcapable of dispensing the contents thereof in individual or limitedquantities. Such containers were made of various materials and in manycases the dispensing container actually cost more than did the contentsthereof. In most cases, such cartons, boxes, or other containersheretofore known had to be manipulated in some way by the person seekingthe contents thereof, other than by merely reaching with one handgrasping and withdrawing an article. That was true except for theremoval of facial tissues and the like, from the paper box in which theywere packaged, which box is entirely unsuitable for purposes of thisinvention. All of these formerly known container dispensers possessedthe disadvantages of having to be held in one hand while the other handremoved a part of the contents; some part of the container mechanicallyactuated in order to remove a portion of the contents; beingobjectionably costly; leaving a portion of the undispensed contentsexposed to the air; or were not disposable after the contents thereofwere removed, by virtue of their original cost, and required a refill.Further, none of these formerly known carton dispensers of which I amaware were capable of properly dispensing a lightweight article with awrapper on and having the shape of a rectangular block or the like.

The instant invention or discovery overcomes the disadvantages mentionedabove in connection with past known container dispensers in theprovision of a simple and economical carton containing wrapped articlesand which, when received with its contents by the ultimate user, may behung on a hook or nail on a wall, a small flap torn away and removedfrom the bottom of the carton, and the carton becomes a dispenser fromwhich it is only necessary to successively grasp a portion of thewrapping on an article and withdraw the article from the carton. Whenthe carton is empty it is disposed of and a new carton of articlessubstituted for it. The entire carton, including a hanging tab, may bemade by folding a single blank of material such as a suitablepaperboard. The carton dispenser is light in weight and easily packablein a case for shipment. Further, the carton is highly desirable for thepackaging and dispensing of articles having substantially the shape of arectangular block. No portion of the article itself is exposed until itis removed from the carton and the wrapper taken off. The articlesremaining in the dispenser have only a relatively minute portion of thewrappers visible, one at the dispensing end of the carton and severalothers through a slot in the front panel of the carton which denoteswhen the carton is becoming empty. Further advantages of this inventionwill become apparent from the disclosures hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the ultimateoutside face of a blank shaped and scored to be folded into a cartonembodying improvements of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the complete and filled carton showingthe same hung on the wall to function as a dispenser of the articlestherein;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of the dispensing end of the cartonbefore it is put to use as a dispenser; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view takensubstantially as indicated by the line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrated embodiment ofthe instant invention is, of course, made in various sizes consistentwith the size of the articles to be dispensed therefrom, and in theillustrated showing the carton is designed to contain and dispensearticles of substantially rectangular block formation of about 2 inchesin width, 3 inches in length, and one inch thick, these dimensions beingapproximate. The carton dispenser is ideally suited for the dispensingof disposable scrub brushes of a type more fully set forth, described,and claimed in a Kenneth R. Lane application for patent entitledDisposable Scrub Brush," filed Nov. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 776,507, andwhich pending application and the instant application are assigned tothe same assignee. Such disposable scrub brushes: are applicable forvarious uses including surgical usage for scrubing the arms and handsprior to an operation, cosmetic brushes, industrial usage, and manyothers, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the brushesmay or may not contain detergent and may be of various sizes and degreesof stiffness on the scrubbing surfaces depending upon the particularusage for which they are intended. After being used, the brushes arediscarded. Consequently, with the use of the instant invention suchbrushes are made readily available for usage in clinics, hospitals,beauty salons, industrial plants, machine shops, etc. Further, eachbrush is enclosed in a flexible wrapper sealed at its ends whichmaintains a brush in sanitary or sterile condi' tion, as the case maybe, until the wrapper is removed. By way of example, the invention willbe herein described as dispensing such surgical brushes, although itwill be apparent to one skilled in the art that other articles mightalso be packaged and dispensed from the carton.

The entire carton dispenser is made from a single blank of material, asshown in FIG. 1 and generally indicated by numeral l. The blank may bepaperboard or any other material suitable for cartons. The blank isprovided with a number of vertically extending score lines or lines offold 2 toa define a rear panel 3, a side panel 4, a front panel 5, andanother side panel 6. the front panel is provided with a slot 7 thereinnear the lower portion of the panel through which the contents ofthecarton are visible and which advises the user when the carton isnearly empty.

The rear panel 3 is shorter than the other panels and carries a sideflap 8 foldable along a line 9 for adhesive securement to the insidemargin along the free edge of the side panel 6. At the upper end thereofthe front panel is provided with a top closure flap 10 foldable on line11 toward the rear panel, and which carries at its free end a lockingtab 12 foldable on line 13, there being a notch 14 on each side of thelocking tab at the folding line. At the lower end thereof the rear panelcarries a bottom closure flap 15 foldable on line 16 and on the free endthis flap carries a trapezoidal flap l7 foldable on line 18 and which inturn carries a lock tab 19 foldable on line 20, there being opposedlocking notches 21 at opposite ends of the fold line 20.

. Side panel 4 carries a side closure flap 22 foldable on line 23, andat the lower end carries side closure flap 24 of less width than theflap 22 and foldable on line 25. The lower portion of this side panel 4also carries a triangular flap 26 foldable on a diagonal line 27extending from a point coinciding with the bottom of the rear panel 3 tothe inner edge of fold line 25, this flap 26 being provided with a slot28 for receiving the locking tab 19 on the rear panel.

The opposite side panel 6 is provided with an allochiral arrangement offold lines and flaps, including a top side closure flap 29, the bottomend side closure flap 30 and a triangular panel 31 slotted as at 32 inkeeping with the structure of the side panel 4.

At the bottom end thereof the front panel 5 is provided with an endclosure flap 33 connected to the front panel by a tear line 34 and theouter edge of the closure flap 33 is provided with an insertion tab 35foldable upon line 36. Extending upwardly from the tear line 34 is afinger tab 37 defined by a tear line 38.

The rear panel at the top thereof is provided with an integral hangingtab 39 projecting above the top of the panel, this tab being providedwith a keyhole slot 40 for suspending the entire carton from a nail 41or the equivalent on a vertical surface such as a wall or cabinet,indicated at 42 in FIG. 2. For case packing this tab may be folded downalong fold line 39a.

In folding the blank 1, the panels 3, 4, 5 and 6 are disposed at rightangles to each other along fold lines 3 2 and the side tab 8 on the rearpanel 3 is adhesively secured inside the free marginal portion of theside panel 6 to form a container substantially rectangular in crosssection. The closure flap 15 on the rear panel is then folded downwardlyto the position seen more clearly in FIG. 4 giving the container abottom end that slopes toward the front panel to define a dischargeopening or gate 43, FIG. 2. The triangular flaps 31 and 26 on the sidepanels are then folded inwardly, one under the other, to bring the slots28 and 32 into register with each other, then the flap 17 on the flap 15is folded upwardly over the triangular flaps 26 and 31 and the lockingtab 19 is tucked through the slots 28 and 32 to underlie the triangularflaps, thus establishing a reenforced portion on the rear side of thedischarge opening. The discharge opening is initially closed by the flap33 on the front panel and the insert tab 35 is slid inwardly beneath theflap 15 on the rear panel, all as seen clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thenthe container is filled with articles having a generally rectangularblock form, for example the brushes explained hereinabove, each brush 44being enclosed in a wrapper 45 of paper or equivalent material which istransversely sealed by a seam across each end thereof as indicated at46. The wrapped brushes are disposed within the shaped carton indiagonally overlapped relationship as seen best in FIG. 4.

After the container is filled the top thereof is closed by foldinginwardly the side closing flaps 22 and 29 and folding the top closureflap on the front panel rearwardly over the side flaps with the lockingtab 12 inserted against the inside face of the rear panel. The filledcartons may then be packed in a suitable case for shipping, the hangingtab 39 being folded downwardly against the cover flap 10.

When it is desired to put the carton to use as a dispenser, it is asimple expedient to elevate the hanging tab 39 and attach it to a nailor the like on a wall so that the carton is suspended downwardlytherefrom with the front panel 5 facing the user. Then the finger tab37, which is centrally disposed, may be pinched against the bottomclosure flap 33 between the thumb and finger and both this tab and theclosure flap 33 torn loose along the tear lines 34 and 38 and removedwithdrawing the insert tab 35 at the same time to provide the bottomopening 43. This opening is preferably slightly narrower than thethickness of a brush 44, the front panel flexing at the lower endthereof sufficiently to permit ready withdrawal of a packaged brush, butthere is sufficient friction to retain the brushes within the cartonagainst accidental dislodgement. It will be noted from the showing inFIG. 2 that the end seam 46 of the lowermost brush projects through theopening where it may be easily gripped between the thumb and finger andwithdrawn through the opening 43, the next brush gravitating intoposition with its leading end margin exposed at the opening. in thismanner the brushes may readily be dispensed from the carton one at atime until the carton is empty, the visual slot 7 in the front panel 5warning the user that a new carton will shortly be needed. When empty,the canon is disposed of, and a new carton hung in place.

It will be noted that the structure of the carton dispenser is such thatthere is a smooth, clean inner surface for the contents, unmarred orunobstructed by staples, locking tabs, or other impediments to thesmooth, downward gravitation of the contents of the carton. Further, thecarton is pleasing in appearance and may be economically and quicklyfolded and secured in shape, and will readily dispense rectangular blockshaped articles.

It should be evident that various modifications can be made to thedescribed embodiment without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

I claim:

1. A carton dispenser in which wrapped articles are initially packed andfrom which the articles may be dispensed one at a time, comprising:

a single blank of stock folded into a carton having a front panel;

a pair of allochiral side panels, and a rear panel the body of which isshorter than that of the other panels; a flap on each said side panel adacent the lower end thereof and connected thereto by a fold line slopingdownwardly from the outer edge of the side panel toward a point on thebottom of said panel much nearer to the bottom of said front panel;

a flap on said rear panel at the bottom thereof folded into engagementwith the folded flaps on said side panels, whereby a lower end portionis provided on the carton which slopes from the rear panel toward butnot reaching the front panel to provide a dispensing opening narrowerthan the remainder of the carton; and

a removable closure for said opening.

2. The carton dispenser of claim 1, wherein said dispensing opening isslightly narrower than the thickness of the articles in the carton toprevent accidental removal of the articles, the front panel flexingslightly to permit easy withdrawal of an article.

3. The carton dispenser of claim 1, in which the articles are generallyin the shape of a rectangular block and packed obliquely in overlappingrelationship, whereby the lower edge of each article will gravitate intoeasy reach at the discharge opening.

4. The carton dispenser of claim 1, including:

said side panel flaps being triangular and each having a transverse slottherein;

said side panel flaps being folded over said rear panel flap with saidslots in alignment; and

a locking tab on the end of said rear panel flap folded reversely andtucked through said slots and said rear panel flap is reinforcedimmediately above said dispensing opening.

1. A carton dispenser in which wrapped articles are initially packed andfrom which the articles may be dispensed one at a time, comprising: asingle blank of stock folded into a carton having a front panel; a pairof allochiral side panels, and a rear panel the body of which is shorterthan that of the other panels; a flap on each said side panel adjacentthe lower end thereof and connected thereto by a fold line slopingdownwardly from the outer edge of the side panel toward a point on thebottom of said panel much nearer to the bottom of said front panel; aflap on said rear panel at the bottom thereof folded into engagementwith the folded flaps on said side panels, whereby a lower end portionis provided on the carton which slopes from the rear panel toward butnot reaching the front panel to provide a dispensing opening narrowerthan the remainder of the carton; and a removable closure for saidopening.
 2. The carton dispenser of claim 1, wherein said dispensingopening is slightly narrower than the thickness of the articles in thecarton to prevent accidental removal of the articles, the front panelflexing slightly to permit easy withdrawal of an article.
 3. The cartondispenser of claim 1, in which the articles are generally in the shapeof a rectangular block and packed obliquely in overlapping relationship,whereby the lower edge of each article will gravitate into easy reach atthe discharge opening.
 4. The carton dispenser of claim 1, including:said side panel flaps being triangular and each having a transverse slottherein; said side panel flaps being folded over said rear panel flapwith said slots in alignment; and a locking tab on the end of said rearpanel flap folded reversely and tucked through said slots and said rearpanel flap is reinforced immediately above said dispensing opening.